Kansas City Ballet Announces 2013-2014 Season at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Page
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CONTACT: FOR TICKETS:
Ellen McDonald 816.931.2232 or www.kcballet.org
816.444.0052
publicity@kcballet.org
DRACULA and CINDERELLA plus
WORLD PREMIERE HIGHLIGHT
KANSAS CITY BALLET’S
2013-2014 SEASON
Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free and William Whitener’s Triple Play enhance 56
th
Season
KANSAS CITY, MO (January 27, 2013) — Kansas City Ballet today announced the selections
to be presented during its 56
th
season. The year begins with a World Premiere full-company work
by Los Angeles based choreographer Jodie Gates, George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante,
Jerome Robbins hugely popular Fancy Free with music by Leonard Bernstein and a new
creation by William Whitener, the company’s departing artistic director. Following its annual
production of the holiday classic The Nutcracker, the highly anticipated Kansas City premieres of
British choreographer Michael Pink’s DRACULA and Cincinnati Ballet Artistic Director
Victoria Morgan’s CINDERELLA will finish out the Winter and Spring seasons.
Executive Director Jeffrey J. Bentley stated, “There is palpable excitement within our organization
surrounding the upcoming season. It is essential that the company continue to build upon its past
successes, offering our audience programs that are balanced and engaging, designed to satisfy both
seasoned patrons and newcomers to the art form. We believe this array of proven classics, new
works, and provocative dance/theater finds its mark.”
“The promise of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts continues to be realized through
large-scale production opportunities, increased performances and ever-growing audiences,”
Bentley continued. “I thoroughly anticipate this coming year will again see a dynamic expansion
in demand for world class dancing.”
The entire 2013-14 season will be accompanied by the Kansas City Symphony, conducted by
renowned Kansas City Ballet Music Director Ramona Pansegrau.
Visit www.kcballet.org for more information about Kansas City Ballet’s 2013-2014 season and
www.kauffmancenter.org for a downloadable media kit about the Kauffman Center.
Kansas City Ballet Announces 2013-2014 Season at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Page
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Kansas City Ballet
2013-2014 Season at a Glance
Kansas City Ballet ticket office 816.931.2232
Purchase tickets online at www.kcballet.org.
Fall Performances
October 11-20, 2013 | Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts | Music performed by Kansas City Symphony
Presenting classics from Balanchine, Robbins and Bernstein, plus both Kansas City and world premiere ballets.
Allegro Brillante Choreography: George Balanchine Music: Peter I. Tchaikovsky
Triple Play Choreography: William Whitener Music: Francis Poulenc
Fancy Free Choreography: Jerome Robbins Music: Leonard Bernstein
World Premiere Choreography: Jodie Gates Music: J. S. Bach
Fri., Oct. 11 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 12 7:30 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 13 2 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 18 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 19 7:30 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 20 2 p.m.
The Nutcracker
December 7-24, 2013 | Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts | Music performed by Kansas City Symphony
Kansas City’s favorite holiday tradition continues with the presentation of Todd Bolender’s delightful
family classic The Nutcracker.
The Nutcracker Choreography: Todd Bolender Music: Peter I. Tchaikovsky
Sat., Dec. 7 2 p.m. (*) & 7:30 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 8 1 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 13 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 14 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 15 1 p.m. & 5 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 18 7:30 p.m.
Thurs., Dec. 19 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 20 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 21 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 22 1 p.m. & 5 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 23 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 24 1 p.m.
(*) Sugar Plum Fairy Luncheon
Winter Performances
February 21-March 2, 2014 | Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts | Music performed by Kansas City
Symphony
The classic gothic horror story becomes a frightening and bravura work of dance theatre filled with
sensuality and danger.
Kansas City Ballet Announces 2013-2014 Season at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Page
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Dracula Choreography: Michael Pink Music: Philip Feeney
Fri., Feb. 21 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 22 7:30 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 23 2 p.m.
Thurs. Feb. 27 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 28 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 1 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sun., Mar. 2 2 p.m.
Spring Performances
May 9-18, 2014 | Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts | Music performed by Kansas City Symphony
The delightful fairy tale of the young girl who unexpectedly finds true love and proves that dreams really
do come true.
Cinderella Choreography: Victoria Morgan Music: Sergei Prokofiev
Fri., May 9 7:30 p.m.
Sat., May 10 7:30 p.m.
Sun., May 11 2 p.m.
Fri., May 16 7:30 p.m.
Sat., May 17 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sun., May 18 2 p.m.
MORE about the 2013-2014 Season
Fall Performances
October 11-20, 2013
When Jerome Robbin’s Fancy Free, the precursor to the Broadway musical and film On The
Town, premiered in 1944, it proved to be one of the most exciting evenings in the history of dance
in America, marking the emergence of two new American treasures. Jerome Robbins, an original
member of American Ballet Theatre, created the choreography, working closely with a young,
then unknown composer, Leonard Bernstein. Following the success of the ballet, it was translated
into a musical comedy On The Town, which was subsequently adapted for the screen starring
Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra. The setting is New York City on a hot summer night with three
sailors on shore leave. They pick up two girls and a fight develops. Each sailor dances to win the
favor of a girl, revealing his individual character. When the girls are unable to choose, they slip
away. The sailors make up, but when a third girl passes their way, the audience is left wondering
whether they have learned their lesson.
Kansas City Ballet Announces 2013-2014 Season at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Page
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Scheduled as a World Premiere at the Johnson County Community College in September 2013, a
piece by prolific choreographer Jodie Gates, featuring the music of J. S. Bach precedes the Fall
Performances. Jodie Gates is a 30-year veteran choreographer, director, producer and dancer.
Characterized by vivid articulation and rich musicality, her work has been called “visually
compelling, powerful, beautiful”, by the Philadelphia Inquirer and praised for “showing
considerable skill at construction, moving dancers seamlessly on and off stage”, from the New
York Times.
“This is an exciting time for the Kansas City Ballet and for the thriving performing arts scene in
the community which now is home to one of the most innovative performing arts venues in the
country, the Kauffman Center,” Gates said. “I am thrilled and honored to be creating my first full-
company work for Kansas City Ballet. This will be a celebratory ballet steeped in tradition, yet it
also challenges the dancers’ athleticism and explores the boundaries of neoclassical ballet. I look
forward to working with the dancers in the studio and collaborating with the entire Kansas City
Ballet artistic and production team!”
Allegro Brillante, George Balanchine’s neoclassical ballet set to Peter I. Tchaikovsky’s Piano
Concerto No. 3 for piano and orchestra, might be aptly subtitled “Appassionata.” The music,
originally for symphonic use, was the last Tchaikovsky composed. It is melodically and
stylistically reminiscent of much of his work, with a brisk vigor which motivates the dance. The
choreography, like the music, is Russian and romantic, evidenced throughout in expansiveness of
movement and gesture with dazzling speed. According to Balanchine, Allegro Brillante “contains
everything I knew about the classical ballet—in thirteen minutes.”
The World Premiere of Triple Play is choreographed by William Whitener, who will be returning
to stage this piece, following his departure as Artistic Director (1996-2013) at Kansas City Ballet.
It features a piano solo, Three Novelettes, by Francis Poulenc, which will be performed on stage
by Kansas City Ballet Music Director Ramona Pansegrau.
“During one of my daily company ballet classes, Ramona played this gorgeous piece by composer
Francis Poulenc,” said Whitener. “I found a recording in my library and was intrigued by its
whimsy and poignancy. At that moment, I decided to create a dance for two about the multifarious
nature of pairing, performed off-pointe by the woman.”
The Nutcracker
December 7-24, 2013
Kansas City Ballet will present Kansas City’s favorite holiday tradition, The Nutcracker, at the
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. The Nutcracker, featuring the music of Peter I.
Tchaikovsky and choreography of Todd Bolender, returns for 18 public performances and two
matinees for schools. This two-act ballet continues to delight audiences with its magnificent sets,
costumes and special effects. Three casts of Kansas City Ballet dancers, plus more than 225 local
youngsters ages 7 to 17 selected from Kansas City Ballet School, will perform E.T.A. Hoffman’s
story. The Nutcracker tickets will go on sale to the public Oct. 21, 2013.
Kansas City Ballet Announces 2013-2014 Season at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Page
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Winter Performances
Feb. 21 - March 2, 2014
The Winter Performances will feature the highly anticipated evening-length Kansas City Premiere of
Michael Pink’s Dracula. Created in 1996 by Michael Pink, Artistic Director of Milwaukee Ballet
Company, this three-act drama has won critical acclaim in England, Australia and North America.
According to The Rocky Mountain News, Michael Pink’s Dracula is “a bravura work of theatre – a taut,
dark tale that happens to speak in the language of dance.” Choreographer Michael Pink states, “Dracula is
unlike any other ballet. It’s sinister and sensual at the same time; breathtaking yet horrific. The show has
developed somewhat of a cult following, breaking box office records all over the world. I’m thrilled to be
bringing it to Kansas City Ballet for the first time.”
Based on Bram Stoker’s classic gothic horror story, Dracula is a frightening tale of the nocturnal
Count who survives on the blood of the living. Audiences will be mesmerized as they venture into
the dark and eerie world of the famous Count Dracula. With the combination of dramatic
choreography by Michael Pink, an original, haunting score by Philip Feeney and dark sets and
costumes by Lez Brotherston, Dracula delivers sensuality and danger in a dance narrative
combining story-enhancing sound effects like the beating heart that opens the show and the
frightened voices of the humans Dracula is stalking. Accompanied by Kansas City Symphony,
conducted by Kansas City Ballet Music Director Ramona Pansegrau, featuring Philip Feeney’s
score, the dramatic music and cinematic scenery will captivate audience members from curtain
rise to curtain fall.
Spring Performances
May 9-18, 2014
Closing the 2013- 2014 season will be the beloved and enchanting evening-length Kansas City
Premiere, Cinderella, choreographed by Cincinnati Ballet Artistic Director Victoria Morgan and
featuring the gorgeous score of Prokofiev. Cinderella features a delightful cast including children
from Kansas City Ballet School, fairies weaving spells of wonderment, and riotous bumbling
characters to complete this entertaining performance. Dance Magazine opined, “Inspiring! And as
direct as Prokofiev’s music, it was Victoria Morgan’s thoughtful choreography harmonized with
the Cincinnati Ballet production of Cinderella into a hosanna of hope.” The Cincinnati Enquirer
stated, “Cinderella captures the spirit of the fairy tale. … A sweet magic is captured in Victoria
Morgan’s vision of the classic.”
The ballet is faithful to the beloved 1697 tale by Charles Perrault, in which the heroine's father
fails to protect his daughter from the wickedness of a stepmother and two stepsisters. After the
intervention of her Fairy Godmother, however, the underappreciated Cinderella is transformed
into a beautiful young woman who finds love in the arms of a Prince.
Kansas City Ballet Announces 2013-2014 Season at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Page
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“One thing I have loved about Cinderella is the fact that it is a joy to choreograph to such amazing
music,” Victoria Morgan stated. “Prokofiev is simply one of those composers that ignite
movement. His serious music is glorious and his silly music is cleverly unexpected and makes you
laugh. And that part, both the serious and the humorous, is what is so great—it is a ballet full of
extremes and breadth. The icing on the cake for me personally is that the Kauffman Center has
been such a nationally talked about theatre, to have my work on that stage sounds thrilling. And of
course Kansas City Ballet has a great national reputation.”
Sponsors
The Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation supports Kansas City Ballet’s 56
th
season.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Season Subscriber Information
For this stirring and unique season in the Kauffman Center, a Series Subscription Package is
suggested for best seating. Season ticket patrons enjoy a 3-show series including the three Fall,
Winter, and Spring repertory shows, with the option to add on their tickets for Kansas City’s
favorite holiday tradition, The Nutcracker before tickets go on sale to the public.
All season series include major savings and patron benefits including: priority seating in the
Kauffman Center, ticket discounts, savings on single ticket prices, free ticket exchanges and the
chance to purchase discounted tickets for The Nutcracker. Subscribers save up to 25% off
individual show tickets. Parents, note this great opportunity to introduce the arts to your children;
patrons under 21 can purchase season tickets for half price with an adult subscription order.
2013-14 season tickets range in price from $66 to $297 for the 3-show package. For ticket
information, please call the Kansas City Ballet ticket office at 816.931.2232 or visit our website at
www.kcballet.org.
About Kansas City Ballet
Founded in 1957, Kansas City Ballet is a 28-member professional ballet company currently under
the direction of Artistic Director William Whitener and Executive Director Jeffrey J. Bentley. The
company’s mission is to offer our community, region and dance profession, dance experiences of
the highest quality. Kansas City Ballet is home to the Kansas City Ballet School for 600 children
and adults, offering professional training for the career-minded student as well as for those seeking
a healthy lifestyle. Through our professional company, school and community outreach programs
such as ROAD, Project X, and Dance INFORMances, we seek to nurture and develop our artists,
audiences and students in the creativity, diversity and joy of dance. Our new home, Kansas City
Ballet’s Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity at Union Station, in conjunction with our
new stage at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, is poised to make Kansas City and
Kansas City Ballet a true destination for dance.
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Please direct all media inquiries to: Ellen McDonald at 816.444.0052 or publicity@kcballet.org.
